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I stayed in Mirissa, a small town on the southern coast, for two full weeks as a volunteer yoga instructor and an event organizer in a hostel setting. I was excited to be teaching yoga by the beach, but I was also nervous about organizing social events for hostel guests as I hadn't done it before. It was a party hostel that I stayed in, and I try to stay in social hostels or homestays most of the time since I am not a huge party person. This was a great opportunity to learn what it is like to be in a party hostel and to teach yoga. I still had a great time, and it was a good learning experience!
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My Day As a Volunteer- YOGA
I volunteered at Hangover Hostels, which had three locations throughout Sri Lanka: Ella, Arugam Bay, and Mirissa. I originally applied to be a yoga teacher/event organizer in Ella, Sri Lanka in Worldpackers. After speaking with the host, I was told that there is a vacancy in the Mirissa location so I came to the south coast after traveling through Ella.
I had five work days with two days off. My volunteer duties included teaching yoga in the morning and the afternoon (8 am-9:30 am & 5:30 pm-6:30 pm) and organizing social events mostly in the evenings (6:30 pm-10 pm but flexible). The hostel had a rooftop with five yoga mats, where I could teach yoga with a beach view, which was my favorite part of volunteering here. One thing I didn't like about the hostel was the very old, dirty mats. I tried to clean the mats, but they were so old and were not cleaned properly that I couldn't remove the dirt.
People
I met so many great people while I was volunteering here. All people were welcoming and friendly so I had no issues being part of the community. The guests that I met during my yoga classes, and events that I hosted were also easy to get along. Many people signed my travel book, which I felt grateful for.
Sarath was the hostel manager, who had a lot of experience in hotel management. He was also a great cook, and he would cook dinner for hostel guests when we had family dinners. He was a chill and laid-back person, had flexibility, and was easy to work with.
Harsha was the assistant hostel manager, who was very helpful. He was supportive of what I was doing and was very nice. He broke his leg so he was on crutches but he made sure everything was operating.
Beach Yoga
On my last day of volunteering, I decided to hold a beach yoga session. The hostel was located on the main road in Mirissa and the beach was a 5-minute walk from the hostel. We took our mats to Mirissa Beach and did yoga while enjoying the sunset. We started the class around 6 pm and sunset was around 6:25 pm. Meditating by the beach and doing yoga was so relaxing. Hearing the beach waves was a perfect way to unwind!
Hostel Events
I used WhatsApp hostel group chat to alert guests what the ongoing events were for the day and updated the whiteboard & blackboard for daily events. I had to come up with different hostel events in the evenings daily. It was not easy because the resources were very limited so I had to touch base with the hostel manager to discuss ideas and what to organize. Some days, I organized Karaoke Nights, Beerpong Nights, and Quiz Nights, other days, the hostel manager hosted Family Dinners, where he cooked dinner for guests. Doctor's House was a bar in Madiha, which was a 15-minute tuk-tuk ride from the hostel and they held parties twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays) so my workload was less on those days as people went out to party. I went to the Doctor's House once during my stay; it was good but I think once or twice is enough (remember, I am not a party person).
Family Dinner! we had it almost every week. Sarath cooked 6 different Sri Lankan homemade curry dishes with/ rice.
Karaoke Night that I hosted! People had to use their phones for the lyrics since the hostel didn't have a big screen (but it still worked!)
It was a great experience! I enjoyed my stay in Mirissa. I met tons of international travelers and locals. I also enjoyed being close to the beach and taking night walks at the beach. Although I am not a party person, I easily got along with so many people in the hostel. My experience was great, and I hope to be back in Mirissa!
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